BEIJING, China — They may be the youngest team in the competition, but the U.S. men's hockey team got off to a flying start, whipping China 8-0 in the Olympic qualifying round.
Forward Sean Farrell, a 20-year-old who skates at Harvard, led the way with a hat trick (3 goals) and two assists for a five-point game. Skaters with Minnesota ties also made a significant impact with forward Ben Meyers (Delano, U of M Gophers) picking up a goal and two assists, and Noah Cates from Stillwater notching a goal. Brock Faber from Maple Grove picked up an assistant and anchored the U.S. defensive corp.
Faber led all U.S. players in ice time, logging 23 minutes and 25 seconds, in excess of five minutes more than the next highest total.
Seven of the eight U.S. goals were scored by players currently in college.
Goaltender Drew Comesso earned the shutout win, stopping 29 shots. The 19-year-old from Boston University is the youngest tender to ever start for a U.S. men's Olympic team.
Tomorrow night's contest will feature a far more challenging opponent, as the U.S. takes on Canada. The game will be interesting, as the roster for both teams was significantly impacted by the NHL's decision to not allow its players to take part in the Olympics due to concerns over COVID and China's quarantine policies.
Winter Olympics in Beijing
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